Loneliness is an aching void in the center of our being, a deep longing to love and to be loved, to be fully known and accepted by at least one other person. It is a hollow, haunting sound sweeping through our depths, chilling our bones and causing us to shiver. Is there a person who has never felt the stab of loneliness, who has never known the eerie distance of isolation and separation, who has never suffered the pain of rejection or the loss of love? (James Parks. Interpersonal Loneliness and Spiritual Loneliness.)

I think, without asking for you who have felt the sting of loneliness to raise your hands, that I can answer his question, “Is there a person who has never felt the stab of loneliness…?” The answer is “No.” Where does the deep, dark feeling of isolation, alienation, and separation come from and is there any way to overcome it? That is a great question and we are going to spend our time this morning taking a look and trying to find an answer.

First of all, I believe that you can trace these feelings of isolation and alienation all the way back to the book of Genesis. After God created Adam and Eve they enjoyed God’s presence in every sense of the word. Adam and Eve spoke with God as with a friend. They enjoyed God’s presence. God placed them as stewards over everything He had made. God gave them the Garden to enjoy and the only thing off limits to them was “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” In Genesis 2:16-17, God said to Adam and Eve,

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17 NIV)

You can enjoy all that the Garden has to offer, but you must never eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In the very next chapter of Genesis everything changed as Adam and Eve broke fellowship with God, they rebelled against God and ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. From that moment on everything changed. We read in Genesis 3:7-9,

7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:7-9 NIV)

God, the Tender Creator who had formed them, breathed the breath of life into their nostrils, and blessed them with His very presence, called out, “Where are you?” while Adam and Eve hid from God. Do you recognize what has just happened? Alienation moved into the Garden. Adam and Eve hid from the one they use to walk with, fellowship with, and enjoy. There was no isolation in the Garden before the time of the Fall. There was no brokenness in the Garden before the time of the Fall. There was no sign of “blame” in the Garden before the time of the Fall, yet after Adam and Eve break fellowship with God by rebelling against Him we see “blame” appear for the very first time. God asked Adam,

11 …Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” 12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me–she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:11-13 NIV)

The final verses of Genesis 3 are some of the saddest words recorded in God’s Word. “God drove the man out…” Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden and the sweet fellowship they once shared with God was altered, the sweet fellowship that Adam and Eve shared together was altered. Read along with me from Genesis 3:23-24.

23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:23-24 NIV)

God didn’t turn His back on His creation and find other things to do, but because of “sin,” relationships were altered, they were changed from what they once were to something altogether different. That’s what sin does—it changes things. Sin breaks things. Sin alters what God intends into something altogether different, something less than God intends for you and me. We do not have to look too far to see living illustrations of what I am talking about. All we have to do is look in the mirror, take an honest look at our own lives, and we will clearly see the effects of sin on our relationships.

This is what Paul was writing about in Ephesians 2. Last week we began our study of the second section of Ephesians 2 by learning about the deep, deep divide between the Jews and the Gentiles. The isolation and alienation were so prominent in the relationships of these two people groups that there was nothing they could do to overcome the divide. That is, if they had wanted to do anything to overcome it. The truth of the matter is that both groups felt justified in their separation. Let’s take a look at Ephesians 2:14-18 and see what we can learn.

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. (Ephesians 2:13-18 NIV)

Those who were “far away” were the Gentiles. Throughout the Hebrew Bible we can find this kind of language being used. The Israelites were those who were “near” God, they were His Chosen People, and they viewed all other people as being far from God. In Deuteronomy 4, Moses had already been told that he would not be allowed to go into the Promised Land and that Joshua would lead the people into the land that God had promised them. As Moses gives his farewell speech to the people of God, he says,

7 What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him? (Deuteronomy 4:7 NIV)

The idea that the Gentiles were those who were “far away” was still present when Simon Peter stood up to preach at Pentecost after Jesus’ death and resurrection. There were people from many nations, both Jews and Gentiles, who were present in Jerusalem when Peter preached his powerful message. Peter let it be known that the promise of God was for those who were both “far away” and for those who were “near.” Peter said,

38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off–for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:38-39 NIV)

We talked last week about the disadvantages of the Gentiles and the advantages that were showered upon the Jews because they were God’s Chosen People, chosen to be a nation of priests to the nations. The plan of God to reach all nations with His grace and mercy was there all along. In Isaiah 51:4-5 we read,

4 “Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: The law will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations. 5 My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations. The islands will look to me and wait in hope for my arm. (Isaiah 51:4-5 NIV)

“My salvation is on the way…” And it arrived when God sent His Son to live among us, die for our sins, and then rise from the dead to live forevermore. Paul, in writing to the folks in Ephesus, says “For He Himself is our peace…” In Isaiah 9 we read that He is the “Prince of Peace,” but in Ephesians 2:14 we find that He is more than a title, He is in actuality “our peace.” Before Jesus comes into our lives we are at “enmity” with God and with others. That is a strange word for most of you. A word that we hardly ever hear in our day, but the Bible is very clear in stating that this is the status of our relationship with the world around us. The Greek word, “ἔχθρα” (echthra) means, “hostility as a disposition, enmity, or actual conflict.” The NIV says that Jesus has done away with the “hostility,” but in actuality the word is this Greek word we are talking about. In his letter to the Romans Paul described the sinful minds attitude towards God when he writes,

6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. (Romans 8:6-8 NIV)

Left to our own devices we are hostile to God. You say, “I wouldn’t use such a strong word to describe how I feel about God. I rarely give God a thought to be honest with you.” But my friend you are hostile to God because you refuse to honor Him with your life. You thumb your nose at His will for your life. You, for all intents and purposes, have made yourself out to be God by choosing your will over His. Paul is right, the sinful mind, the man, woman, boy, or girl who is knowingly, willingly, rejecting Jesus, is hostile towards God.

Not only are we at enmity with God, but we are at enmity with one another. We want what we want and if you get in our way then we will willingly run you over to get what we want. Our will, fulfilling our desires, is the primary goal of each and every one of us who live apart from a transforming relationship with Jesus. As a result of that we are at war with those who stand in our way. This is true on an individual level as well as a global level. And yet we all want peace. Just give me some peace and quiet! It is impossible apart from us allowing the Prince of Peace to be our peace. We can never be at peace with others until we are first at peace with God.

One of the religious teachers came up to Jesus one day to try and test Him by asking Him which of the laws was the greatest? In Matthew 22:36-40 we can find Jesus’ response. Listen to this.

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40 NIV)

Jesus said that all of the Law and the Prophets hung on these two commandments: Love God and love your neighbor as you love yourself. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote about this by saying,

Now the important thing there is to notice the order: First, the relationship to God; second, the relationship to your fellow man and woman. The whole tragedy of the modern world is due to the fact that the first is entirely left out and men think you can start with the second. But you cannot, because you are to love your neighbor as yourself, you are to love your neighbor as you love yourself. The problem therefore is, how am I to love myself? And according to the Bible, I shall never love myself in the right way until I see myself as I am in my relationship to God. So I cannot possibly carry out the second commandment unless I am already clear about the first. It is impossible. And man today, not recognizing God, and not starting with God, and not submitting himself to God, is trying to reconcile himself to his fellow man. And of course he is not succeeding, he never can succeed. He is violating the law of his own nature. He has been made by God, he has been made for God; and he does not see himself truly, he does not see anybody else truly, until he sees himself and all others in light of God’s law, face to face with God Himself. (Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Ephesians 2: God’s Way of Reconciliation. pg. 204)

If we are not reconciled to God, if the dividing wall between me and God is not torn down, then I have no chance of ever experiencing genuine reconciliation with those around me and having all of the walls torn down between us. Jesus is our peace and He has done away with all of those things that separate us from God and from one another. In verse 16 we read that Jesus has reconciled both the Jews and the Gentiles through “this one body…through the cross.” Jesus is our peace with God by making peace on our behalf, by paying a debt that we owed because of sin, but which we could never pay. Through shedding His blood on the cross we are forgiven, we are reconciled, we are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, and the hostility between us and God has been abolished forevermore for those who are in Christ Jesus.

In verses 14-15 we find “hostility” once again. This time the hostility is between people. Paul tells us that “He Himself is our peace” and He has “destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in His flesh, the law with its commandments and regulations.” I’ve heard people say, “Well, I’m not under the Law any longer. I live by grace. Jesus did away with the Law.” Most of the time that I hear those kinds of comments they are coming from folks who simply want to live however they want to live. They want to use Jesus as a license to continue to do whatever they want to do. Jesus did away with the law, but we need to understand what that really means.

There is a difference between the “ceremonial law” and the “moral law” of God. The ceremonial law had to do with all of the feasts, offerings, dietary restrictions, purification rites, etc. The moral law of God is best recognized by the Ten Commandments and Jesus said that He did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them. In Matthew 5:17-19 we read,

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-19 NIV)

Let me explain to you what I mean. We do not practice sacrifice any longer because Jesus, our High Priest, offered His life for us as a once-for-all sacrifice and did away with the need for the temple sacrifices. On the other hand, the seventh commandment says, “You shall not commit adultery.” For those of you who think Jesus did away with the Law, I’m sorry to break the news to you, but the seventh commandment still stands.

Jesus came to destroy all of the walls that separate us as people. He did away with all of the ceremonial laws that kept the Jews and Gentiles separated from one another. John MacArthur writes,

All of the ceremonial laws which distinguished and separated Jews from Gentiles were obliterated. Before Christ those groups could not eat together because of restricted foods, required washings, and ceremonial contamination. Now they could eat anything with anyone. Before Christ they could not worship together. A Gentile could not fully worship in the Jewish Temple, and a Jew would not worship in a pagan temple. In Christ they now worshiped together and needed no temple or other sacred place to sanctify it. All ceremonial distinctions and requirements were removed. (MacArthur, John. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Ephesians. pg. 77-78)

In Colossians 2:16-17, Paul tells the people of Colosse to keep their heads up when folks try to judge them because of “what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.” He goes on to say that those things, those ceremonial laws, were merely a shadow of what was to come, “the reality, however, is found in Christ.” These were huge walls that separated in biblical days, but today we have other kinds of walls that separate us one from another.

We people are excellent at building walls to keep others out, to keep others away from us. Most of the walls we build are invisible; they are constructs of our minds that keep others at arm’s length. We have racial walls, economic walls, educational walls, societal walls, and the list goes on and on. Kids in school have all kinds of walls to deal with in their everyday life. There are all kinds of groups and each of them are encompassed by invisible walls. Our walls are limited only by our imagination.

I remember when I first met Connie. A friend had introduced her to me and we were sitting in the Student Union when she asked me if I played football? The way that she asked the question tipped me off that football players were probably not high on her list of “Most Favored People on Campus.” I said, “No, why?” She said, “I don’t go out with football players.” She had built a wall hadn’t she?

There is not a wall that you can build that Jesus cannot destroy. You might not realize it if you aren’t following Him, but the truth is that He has destroyed all walls already for those who are in Him. In Galatians 3:26-29 we read,

26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:26-29 NIV)

That is great news isn’t it? There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, rich nor poor, educated nor uneducated, black, white, brown, red, or yellow, sophisticated or unrefined, outcast or honored, for we are all one in Christ Jesus. That is great news! Jesus has not only destroyed all of the walls that separate us from God and from one another, but He takes us beyond reconciliation into the Father’s very presence. In Ephesians 2:18, Paul writes,

18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. (Ephesians 2:18 NIV)

It is so important for you and me to understand what Paul means when he says that we have “access” to the Father by one Spirit. The Greek word for “access” is “προσαγωγή” (prosagoge) and it means, “the act of bringing to, a moving to, or access.” The word is only used 3 times in the New Testament, in Romans 5:2, here in Ephesians 2:18, and then in Ephesians 3:12. The way it was used in ancient society was most often in reference to a court official who introduced people to the king. The court official was the key to those persons gaining access to the king. Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes,

Now this word ‘access’ is an important and an interesting word. It can also be translated by the word ‘approach’ or better still, I think, by the word ‘introduction.’ ‘For through Him we both have an introduction by one Spirit unto the Father.’ It means that the relationship is restored, that friendly relationship with God whereby we are acceptable to Him and have assurance that He is well disposed towards us. Now the important thing to realize here is that the Lord Jesus Christ does not merely prepare or open the way to this. He actually effects it, He actually produces it Himself. It is He who introduces us to the Father, brings us, takes us by the hand and ushers us into His presence. (Lloyd-Jones, Martyn. Ephesians 2: God’s Way of Reconciliation. pg. 250)

Can you get a picture of that in your mind? It is a picture that should cause all of us to fall on our knees in humble gratitude. To think that the King of Glory, the Innocent who died for you and me, would take us into the very presence of the Father—my mind cannot fully comprehend that.

It is even a more humbling reality when you realize that before Jesus opened the way for us by dying for our sins, nobody could enter into the presence of God except for the High Priest and he could only do so once a year on the Day of Atonement. Now, because Jesus has destroyed every barrier and paid the debt for you and for me, we are encouraged to draw near to God.

22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:22 NIV)

Some of you didn’t feel like coming to church this morning. You wrestled with whether or not you would come. Somebody may have even pressed you to come until you gave in to their wishes, but now that you are here, you must know why you have come. God wants you to know that you don’t have to live in alienation and isolation any longer. He wants you to draw near. Jesus has made this possible for you and for me. Won’t you come? Won’t you draw near to the Father and watch Him begin His work in your life? Won’t you come?

Mike Hays
Britton Christian Church
922 NW 91st
OKC, OK. 73114
February 5, 2012

It is obvious, from reading Psalm 48, where the Psalmist’s mind was at the time he sat down to write. He was thinking about God. His mind was flooded with the goodness and glory of God. He was meditating on the unfailing love, the tender mercy, and lovingkindness of God.

My mind is not so focused most of the time. My mind can become flooded with the list of things I’ve got to get done rather than the limitless ways God has shown me His unfailing love. My thoughts can become fixated on the mundane instead of His Majesty, random thoughts instead of His righteousness. I can easily spend the better part of my day barely giving God a thought as I race from one responsibility to the next.

This morning’s verse is an invitation for me to sit a little while longer than normal and meditate, think about, and contemplate the unfailing love of God that has been lavished on me throughout my life. Let me see…

* He has revealed to me His love and my need for Him.
* He has given me His Word, Holy Scripture, so that I might get to know Him more and more throughout my life.
* He has given me the assurance of His forgiveness, not only for my past sins, but for every sin I will ever commit.
* He has given me the desire to live for Him rather than for myself.
* He has transformed my passion from building my kingdom to proclaiming His.
* He has given me heartache and trials in my life so that I might learn to depend on Him.
* He has given me a beautiful wife, three amazing kids, an incredible daughter-in-law, Hall of Fame parents, wonderful sisters and their families, and the most adorable grandchildren in the whole world!
* He has blessed me with good health so that I could go out and run this morning.
* He has set me in a family He chose for me, Britton Christian Church, and it is full of people that I cherish.
* He has provided a home for my family to keep us warm on these cold February nights.
* He has given me countless opportunities to sit and cry with those who are broken and hurting.
* He has opened doors for me to speak at more weddings and funerals than I can count.
* He has allowed me to teach His Word in Bible studies, Sunday worship services, Chapel services, at summer camps, retreats, homeless shelters, juvenile detention centers, and over coffee at Starbucks.
* He has blessed me with His grace and mercy even though I know I do not deserve them.
* He has given me a passion to walk the streets of Heaven that has replaced my fear of dying.
* He is my Father, my Daddy, my Comforter, my Counselor, my Corrector, and the love of my life.

My prayer today Lord is that You might draw my mind away from the things that so easily distract me from the list of countless blessings You have lavished upon me so that I might meditate on Your unfailing love.

“Sin” is not a popular word today. It is becoming increasingly rare to hear the word even in churches today. Even if we were able to completely remove the word from our vocabulary and never hear it again–sin’s effects would remain on prominent display each and every day of our lives. David reminds us of this truth when he tells us about the effect sin had on his own life, even though he remained silent.

Sin not only effected David’s relationship with God, but it also had a negative impact on his physical and emotional health. His strength was sapped, he felt like his body was wasting away, and he groaned throughout the day.

I look back over my life and I can easily see the negative effects that sin has had on my life. Spiritual alienation from God because it is tough, no, it is impossible for me to hold onto my sin and cling to God at the same time. Physical effects are easy for me to identify–sin takes its toll on our bodies in a myriad of ways. Emotionally, sin has messed with my mind in more ways than I can count.

The attitudes and actions of my life that are contrary to God’s Word and God’s character are simply sin. It does me no good to try and rationalize or justify my actions and attitudes when deep in my heart I know what they are–they are sin and God wants them out of my life.

The longer I cling to my sin the sicker I will become. Reading David’s experience this morning shows me that I need to get honest with God, and honest with myself. God already knows, but I need to agree with Him that what I am doing, what I am thinking, is sin.

My prayer today, Lord, is that You would give me the courage to get honest about my life, name those things present that are contrary to Your Word and Your character, and desire to lay them down as I cling to You.

Every raging fire begins with a small spark. Every outburst of unbridled, explosive, consuming anger can be traced back to something less intense that could have been extinguished, but was allowed to destroy. A small crack in a relationship is allowed to become a breach broader than the Grand Canyon. An issue not dealt with can easily become a deadly division in a church. Anger fueled can lead a bride to eventually see her prince as a ghastly, disgusting, ogre. Jealousy left unchecked can transform friends into mortal enemies.

My own anger has done more damage than I care to remember. Fist fights as a kid. Word wars as an adult. Destruction and loss all along the way. My outbursts of anger have not been aimed so much at those I know little to nothing about. The recipients, or victims, have been those I love and care about. I would never say to a stranger the things I’ve said to my wife, Connie. I don’t know that I’ve ever felt the rush of anger’s adrenaline with a co-worker like I have my own children. I am embarrassed and ashamed, and will never forget how my anger has hurt those I love.

In reading Psalm 37:8 I’ve discovered something very helpful, insightful, for me. The phrase, “Do not lose your temper–it only leads to evil,” means so much more than simply striving to be mild-mannered or nonchalant about life. The phrase translates the Hebrew word, “Charah,” which means, “Hot, burn, or furious.”

Anger is an emotion that all people experience. It is not anger in and of itself that is destructive. It is what we become angry about and allowing anger to lead to fury, rage, and ungodliness that leads to evil. I know when something is eating at me. It is at that point that I must seek God’s counsel as to what I should do with the anger I feel. Do I need to sit down and talk with the person I am angry with? Do I need to talk to a close friend for wisdom? Do I need to ask God to show me if there is truth in what they’ve said that made me angry? If I don’t take this course of action then I will most likely allow an aggravation to become fueled into a rage.

My prayer today, Lord, is that you will teach me to take my irritations, aggravations, and anger to You so that You might teach me how to extinguish emotions that can lead to evil and destruction.

27 When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, 28 shouting, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple area and defiled this holy place.” 29 (They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple area.) 30 The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. 31 While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. (Acts 21:27-31 NIV)

The gates of the temple were shut because if Paul had really taken the Gentile with him into the temple then it had been defiled. The truth is that Paul hadn’t taken Trophimus with him into the temple, but the story illustrates for you and me the deep, deep animosity and hatred between the Jews and the Gentiles.

In the temple that Herod had begun renovating in 20 B.C., there was a wall that separated the court of the Gentiles from the rest of the areas of the temple. At various places along the wall there were signs that read, “No foreigner may enter within the barrier and enclosure round the temple. Anyone who is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuing death.” Two of these signs have been discovered, one in 1871 and the other in 1935.

The Jews despised other people. They saw them as less than human. They called them “dogs.” The morning blessing of the Jews contained the prayer, “Blessed are you, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, for not having made me a gentile.” William Barclay tells us,

The Jew had an immense contempt for the Gentile. The Gentiles, said the Jews, were created by God to be fuel for the fires of hell. God, they said, loves only Israel of all the nations that he had made…It was not even lawful to render help to a Gentile mother in her hour of sorest need, for that would simply be to bring another Gentile into the world. Until Christ came, the Gentiles were an object of contempt to the Jews. The barrier between them was absolute. If a Jewish boy married a Gentile girl, or if a Jewish girl married a Gentile boy, the funeral of that Jewish boy or girl was carried out. Such contact with a Gentile was the equivalent of death. (William Barclay quoted in John Stott’s commentary on Ephesians. pg. 91.)

I don’t want you to be led to believe that the Jews were the only ones who looked down their noses at people who were different than themselves. The Greeks and Romans were equally arrogant and prejudiced. John MacArthur writes,

The Greeks were so proud of their culture and supposed racial superiority that they considered everyone else to be barbarians, a belief to which Paul alludes in Romans 1:14 and Colossians 3:11. The Greek language was considered to be the language of the gods. The Roman statesman Cicero wrote, ‘As the Greeks say, ‘All men are divided into two classes, Greeks and barbarians.’’ Livy, another ancient Roman, wrote that Greeks constantly waged a truceless war against people of other races, all of whom they held to be barbarians. Because of such feelings, the early church faced continuing barriers not only between believing Gentiles and Jews but between believing Greeks and other Gentile believers. (MacArthur, John, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Ephesians. pg. 66)

I’m so glad that as time has passed and we have become so much more sophisticated, educated, and enlightened that we have gotten rid of all of the walls that divide us as people. I’m so thrilled that we, of our own doing, have eradicated all prejudice, feelings of racial and national superiority, and hatred of other people and nations. Our intelligence and elevated sophistification have achieved for us what no other society has ever experienced. Right? I think you know better than that. There are as many walls in our hearts as there were in the hearts of the Jews and Gentiles. There are as many walls in our city, and the other cities of the world, as there ever were in Jerusalem or any other city for that matter. It has been over twenty years now since Rodney King asked an important question on national television—“Can we all just get along?” I think the past twenty years have provided an answer to Rodney’s question…not a chance!

There has been, there is, and there will continue to be hostility, animosity, aggravation, prejudice, and even hatred among people groups in our world regardless of the level of education we attain, regardless of how many “peace conferences” we attend, and regardless of government intervention. There is but one solution and we are going to spend our time learning about it for the next few weeks. Won’t you turn to Ephesians 2:11-22 with me and let’s read together.

11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)– 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Ephesians 2:11-22 NIV)

This section of Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus can be broken down into three sections. First of all, in verses 11-13 we read about the reality of the Gentiles before the time of Jesus. That would be you and me if you are not Jewish. Second, in verses 14-18 we learn that God has brought us near through Christ. We who were once far away have been brought near. What a thought! Last of all, in verses 19-22, we read about the implications of our new privileged position. Let’s begin by going back to verse 11. Paul writes,

11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)—(Ephesians 2:11 NIV)

In this verse Paul uses the derogatory term that the Jews used to marginalize the Gentiles—they were the “uncircumcised.” The Jews called themselves the “circumcision.” What is tragic about this is that God had established the Jewish rite of circumcision as a symbol of His covenant with Israel—it was to be a sign, a reminder to all of the Jewish males, of His covenant love. It was never intended to be a badge of prideful arrogance or a means to alienate others. I want to show you the Scripture where God initiated the covenant sign with Abraham. Turn with me to Genesis 17:10-13.

10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner–those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. (Genesis 17:10-13 NIV)

So every male among the Jews was to be circumcised on the eighth day after their birth. What was given as a constant reminder of God’s covenant love, a sign that would remind them of God’s wonderful grace, the Jews turned into a status symbol of pride and arrogance. It didn’t take long for this to happen. God responded to the waywardness of His people by raising up His prophets to address the problem. Listen to what He says through Moses in Deuteronomy 10:15-16.

15 Yet the LORD set his affection on your forefathers and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today. 16 Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. (Deuteronomy 10:15-16 NIV)

God wanted His people to know that they had perverted the sign of His covenant. Even though they were circumcised in the flesh—God wanted them to cut away the hard shell that encompassed their hearts. In Jeremiah 9:25-26 we read,

25 “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh– 26 Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab and all who live in the desert in distant places. For all these nations are really uncircumcised, and even the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart.” (Jeremiah 9:25-26 NIV)

The same theme comes through loud and clear in the New Testament. Paul sets the record straight on circumcision in Romans 2:25-29 when he makes it clear that “circumcision is circumcision of the heart.” Listen to this.

25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26 If those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker. 28 A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God. (Romans 2:25-29 NIV)

The sign of circumcision was merely a symbol, a “sticky note” if you will, to remind God’s people of His covenant established by His unmerited love and grace. Israel was God’s Chosen People, not because of anything they had done to cause God to choose them, but because of His glorious love. As a matter of fact, God chose Israel for a purpose. God told Abraham,

2 “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:2-3 NIV)

Did you hear that? “…all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Just three months after the Hebrew slaves had been delivered from their slavery in Egypt, God spoke to Moses and gave him a message to deliver to His Chosen People. Turn to Exodus 19:5-6 with me.

5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” (Exodus 19:5-6 NIV)

God’s plan was still in effect. He had called a people unto Himself to use them as a kingdom of priests to the nations. This raises a question for us doesn’t it? How can you minister to the nations when you believe that all of the other nations are irrelevant? How can you minister to those that you believe are inferior to you? How can you minister, how can you serve, when you are so full of pride, so arrogant? Because Israel forgot “whose” they were and “why” they were, they convinced themselves that they were special and better than all of the other nations, and as a result the nation of Israel, God’s Chosen People, became a stench in the nostrils of the nations.

I hope that we, the Church, hear a strong word of caution in this. We are a “chosen people.” We are “a royal priesthood,” “a holy nation,” and our call is to minister to the nations, to serve those who do not know of God’s mercy and kindness expressed to us in what He has done for us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. You may be wondering how I’ve arrived at that description of you and me, those who are “in Christ?” Turn with me to 1 Peter 2:9-10 and let’s read together.

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10 NIV)

Has the realization that God has “chosen” you become a source of ungodly pride for you? Have you forgotten why God has chosen you and as a result you’ve begun to look down your nose at those who have yet to know His amazing grace and marvelous mercy? What about our church? Have we become a closed community? We may not have signs like the signs that were in the temple, but do visitors feel welcome when they walk through our doors? How about the outcasts, the downcast, and those that the rest of society would rather not bother with? Do they know they belong among the people of God or are they made to feel like they don’t belong or they aren’t welcome?

I was talking to a friend of mine this past week about some mutual friends of ours who have had a tough life. They had two strikes against them from the day they were born, they’ve made some bad decisions, and at the present time life is harder than it’s ever been. You will never see our friends in the “Society” section of The Daily Oklahoman, they will never have a banquet thrown in their honor, and most people would simply dismiss them to the fringe of society and be quite comfortable with it. I told my buddy, “You know, the truth of the matter is that you and your wife, and Connie and I, can go to any church in Oklahoma City and be welcomed with open arms, but where they can go and worship? Where can they go and be made to feel welcome? They can come to Britton Christian Church…that’s where they belong.”

Let’s move on or we will never get through this section of Paul’s letter. It is interesting to me that at the very beginning of this section of Paul’s teaching he says, “Therefore remember…” In the beginning of our study of Ephesians 2 we learned the status of all of humanity before God intervened on our behalf. We were “dead in our transgressions and sins,” we were “gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature,” and we “were by nature objects of wrath.” That is true for all of humanity. If it were not for what God has done on our behalf through His Son Jesus, each and every one of us would still be in that same place. Now, because of what God has done on our behalf we don’t have to live like that any longer. We can surrender our lives to Jesus, allow Him to break the shackles of sin, begin His transforming work in our lives, and set us free to serve Him.

In verses 11-22, Paul builds upon what he has already said by speaking specifically to the Gentiles who have come to know Jesus. He points out the status of the Gentiles, as a people, before God intervened through His Son. The Gentiles were at a disadvantage and Paul lists five:
1. They were “without Christ.”
2. They had been “excluded from citizenship in Israel.”
3. They were “foreigners to the covenants of the promise.”
4. They were “without hope.”
5. They were “without God in the world.”

This is an interesting list for us to understand. The Gentiles didn’t share in the covenant God had made with His people, they were not citizens of the Chosen People, they didn’t have the hope of a Messiah like the Jews had throughout their history, and as a result of these things they were without the hope that comes from these blessings. When we read that they were without God in the world we shouldn’t conclude that they were athiests. The Gentiles worshiped many gods, but as a group they didn’t worship the God who made Himself known to the Jews. For the non-Jews there were distinct disadvantages. It is even more telling when you recognize the advantages of the Jewish people. Paul, who was a Jew himself, writes in Romans 3:1-2,

1 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? 2 Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God. (Romans 3:1-2 NIV)

God’s Chosen People were given the very words of God. That would be enough of an advantage don’t you think, but God blessed His people with even more advantages. In Romans 9:4-5, Paul lists some of the other advantages of the Jews.

4 …Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. 5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen. (Romans 9:4-5 NIV)

The Gentiles didn’t share in any of these advantages and therefore they were put at a disadvantage. Or so it seemed. God had a plan all along. Remember what He told Abraham? God had a plan and it included the Gentiles. God was going to do what no person could ever do. Not only was He going to reconcile those who were “far away” and bring them near to Himself through His Son Jesus, but He would also reconcile them to one another. He would create an entirely new people through His Son. All of this has been made possible because of what God has done through His Son. In Ephesians 2:13 we read,

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:13 NIV)

Doesn’t that sound familiar? Do you remember, back in Ephesians 2:1-3, when Paul was talking about the hopeless situation of each of us before God acted on our behalf through Jesus? And then we came to verse 4 and read, “But because of His great love for us…” The answer to the hopelessness of being enslaved to sin is found in Christ. The answer to our alienation from God and from one another is found in Christ. We live in a world of walls, a world divided by race, class, economics, education, religion, and much, much more and we will never ever figure out a way to remove these walls outside of Christ.

He is our peace and He alone offers the peace that this world is craving. Before He can ever be the peace of this world, He must first become the peace of the people of this world. If you are not a follower of Jesus then you are alienated from God. Why would you not allow Him to become your peace and reconcile you to the Father this very morning? Won’t you invite Him in?

Mike Hays
January 29, 2012

As I read Psalm 31 this morning it is not too difficult to see that David is frantic. Trouble has come knocking at his door once again. I think this may be one of the reasons why I love the Psalms so much. Trouble of one kind or another seems to be part of the fabric of David’s life, and our lives as well. If it is not one thing it is another.

Troubles, trials, and the challenges of life don’t have to derail me, but when panic joins forces with the troubles of life then the wheels of sanity and security can certainly come flying off. David said, “In panic I cried out, ‘I am cut off from the Lord!’” I have no trouble relating to David’s response to the hardships of life. I don’t think I’ve ever phrased it like David; my reaction has been something along the lines of, “Lord don’t You hear my prayer? Lord, don’t You care about my heartache? Lord, You tell me to bring all of my cares to You, but I don’t see You doing anything to change my circumstances!”

I may have never said that I was “cut off from the Lord,” but I’ve sure felt it at times. Ah, there is that word again, “I felt it.” I know God’s promise that He will never leave me, He will never cut me off, but my feelings do get in the way. Evidently David’s did as well.

In vs. 22 David didn’t stop with how he felt. He followed how he felt with “But You heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help.” I have to wonder how much time lapsed between David’s panic and God’s answer? I’m so glad that I don’t have an answer to that question because if I did then I know me, I would put a time limit on God’s response. I don’t need a watch or a calendar, I need God. I need to wait on God. I need to be reassured by the promises of God’s Word, as I experience the troubles of life, that He will answer me at the right time. I don’t need to bury my face in my hands, but I do need to turn my face to His abiding presence at all times.

My prayer this morning Lord is that You will still my emotions when my heart begins to race with the cares of life and remind me that I can run to You instead of running from my problems.

Life can be very confusing at times. So many choices. So many decisions to be made. The decisions I had to make as a teenager seemed so huge at the time. Now that I am much older, and hopefully a little wiser, they still seem equally as imposing. Which decision is the “right” choice? Sometimes, when I consider my options, I feel like I am standing before one of those huge mixmasters on a major thoroughfare in Dallas or Chicago wondering which lane to choose.

How do I know? How can I know which road to choose, which path to take? David wrote, “Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow.” I know this is the first step in making godly choices–ask God to show me, to point out to me the path I am to follow. I need to pause before making decisions in life. A “pause” may take a moment or it may require a longer period of time, but I would rather wait on the Lord than get off track.

David goes on to ask, “Lead me by Your Truth and teach me.” God’s Truth is found in His Word. The more time I spend reading, learning, and implementing His word the more direction and discernment I gain about life and the decisions to be made. The more time I spend in God’s Word the better equipped I am to make wise, godly decisions.

Last of all, David says, “All day long I put my hope in You.” It is not enough for me to sit at the Father’s feet in the morning, allow Him to teach me, and then rush into my day focused on my business. I must keep my mind fixed upon Him all day long. I must put my hope in Him, rely upon what He has been teaching me, throughout the day. I’m not really putting my hope in Him if I have the final word on the decisions I have to make today. My prayer today, Lord, is that You will lead me down the right path throughout the day, give me the confidence in You to put my hope in the truth of Your Word, and trust that You will never lead me astray.

Lord, it seems that You are developing a theme for the lessons You are teaching me this week. In Psalm 17:3, You showed me that I need a plan, I need to resolve not to use my mouth to sin. Today, I see that You are leading me to the next level. It’s not just what I say that matters to You, but You are concerned about what it going on in my mind as well.

My mind can be an absolute mess at times. I can say all the right things, put a smile on my face, and make myself presentable to those around me. If they only knew what was going on in my mind and heart! There are days when negativity negates the Truth. There are times when doubts and insecurities double me over. There are moments when sinful thoughts surround me. My mind, when left unchecked, can be a cesspool of ungodliness that makes me ashamed.

Paul told the folks in Rome, 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:2 NIV) I’m learning that the transformation is a moment-by-moment surrender to God’s will, a minute-by-minute submission of my mind and my thoughts to the lessons, guidance, and instruction I find in His Word. I’m learning that if I neglect His Word even for a day, my mind, without effort, will begin to conform once again to the ways of the world. My prayer for today, Lord, is that Your Word will do it’s work in my heart and mind, as well as my mouth, so that my thoughts, as well as my actions, will be in sync with Your will.

1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” 3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. 4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. 5 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 6 “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. (Jeremiah 18:1-6 NIV)

By the time Jeremiah leaves the potter’s house he knows for certain that he and every other person on the planet is merely clay on the Potter’s wheel. The lesson which we need to get a firm grasp upon this morning is that God is God and we are clay on the Potter’s wheel.

The imagery of the potter and the clay is used over and over again throughout the Bible. Each and every time the imagery is used the same message is being conveyed. Let me show you a few of the instances of the appearance of the potter and the clay. First, turn with me to Isaiah 29:15-16.

15 Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, “Who sees us? Who will know?” 16 You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “He did not make me”? Can the pot say of the potter, “He knows nothing?” (Isaiah 29:15-16 NIV)

I love the phrase, “You turn things upside down…” Isn’t that exactly what we’ve done today? We’ve put ourselves in the place of God. We’ve decided that we will be the captain of our own ship, we will determine our own course through this life, and we are quick to say what God will do, won’t do, or could never do with our lives. We’ve turned things upside down. Let’s take another look at the potter and the clay in the prophet Isaiah. Turn with me to Isaiah 45:7-11.

7 I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things. 8 “You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the LORD, have created it. 9 “Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘He has no hands’? 10 Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What have you begotten?’ or to his mother, ‘What have you brought to birth?’ 11 “This is what the LORD says– the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: Concerning things to come, do you question me about my children, or give me orders about the work of my hands? (Isaiah 45:7-11 NIV)

The very first verse confirms my statement about how we have determined what God will or won’t do in our lives and in the world. God says, “I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.” We don’t have any problem believing that God creates prosperity, that He gives us all of the things that we have placed under the heading, “Good Things,” but we would never agree with God’s statement that He “brings disaster.” We state emphatically that the troubles of this life, the hardships we face as individuals and as nations are unknown to God–He would never do such a thing! Oh really? That’s not what God says. Our place is on the wheel my friends. Our place is to recognize the Potter who is at work. The Potter is molding us, shaping us, conforming us to the image of His Son as He does His work through the events, all of the events, of our lives.

The same theme of the potter and the clay is picked up by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament. In Romans 9, Paul writes to the folks in Rome about what God has done. He has chosen the Israelites as His Covenant people and yet they have rejected Jesus. God chose to intervene in Sarah’s life when she was past the time of childbearing. God chose Jacob over Esau for no apparent reason other than that is what God chose to do. God chose to raise up Pharaoh for a purpose and the purpose was to put on display God’s mighty power throughout the earth. We might not agree with what God has done. We might not like God’s methods or purposes in history, but we must remember that He alone is God and we are not.

We people are very good at questioning the decisions that others make. A coach will make a call to go for the win instead of tying the game and going into overtime and every man who ever played Pee Wee football knows what a dumb decision the coach just made. A parent will make a decision about where to send their child to school and some of their friends will comment to one another, “Well, I would never do that to my kid!” Employees learn about a new decision made by the owners of the company and they will gather around the water cooler and question the wisdom of the new policies. And let’s not forget church folks. Church folks are quicker on the trigger than Rooster Cogburn when it comes to criticizing and second guessing aren’t they?

We question one another’s wisdom and decision making all of the time. I’ve learned the hard way that when others question me I need to listen because I’m so limited in my understanding, I don’t know much at all, and I need the input of others. When it comes to questioning what God is doing and why He is doing it then we have exited the realm of sanity and are most certainly going to miss what God is trying to do in our lives. Paul puts it this way.

20 But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? (Romans 9:20-21 NIV)

Our understanding of who God is and who we are makes all of the difference in the world in how we go through this life. If we get the answers to these questions wrong then it can be devastating and cause us tremendous problems in dealing with life. When we understand that He is the Potter and we are the clay then life does not get any easier, but we have the assurance that the Potter is at work.

I’ve shared all of this with you to simply lay the groundwork for our Scripture for this morning. If you will turn with me to Ephesians 2:10. Let’s read it together.

10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10 NIV)

“We are God’s workmanship,” we are the clay on the Potter’s wheel, and we have been created with purpose. The Greek word that Paul uses for “workmanship” is a very interesting word. The Greek word is, “ποίημα” (poiema), and it means, “That which has been made, a work, it applies to the works of God as Creator.” Dr. Walter Liefield has some helpful thoughts for us concerning this word,

The word workmanship was used in ancient Greek literature to refer to what a person made or did. Among other things it could refer to literary works, such as a poem. Christians used it in its more general sense and applied it to God’s creation, as Paul did in Romans 1:20. Here, as the work that God produces, it stands in contrast to the mere human works in the previous verse that are unable to save us. Salvation cannot be our work, not only because it is God’s work but because we are God’s work, his new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). (Liefield, Walter. Ephesians. InterVarsity Press. Downers Grove, Ill. 1997. pg. 66)

Just as a sculptor, writer, builder, or artist creates, so is God the Creator. He created us, or as the Psalmist puts it,

13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. (Psalm 139:13 NIV)

God created us, He gave us life, we didn’t do that on our own, and any parent who has ever witnessed the birth of a child knows that they had very little to do with the creation of that precious little baby. God not only created us, but He “recreated” us. Because of sin, we are born spiritually lifeless, there is no sign of spiritual life in us whatsoever, but God, who is rich in mercy, acted on our behalf. Remember what Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:4-5? Let’s read it together.

4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:4-5 NIV)

God made us alive, He recreated us, gave us new life through His Son Jesus. This is what Paul is referring to in Ephesians 2:10 when he writes, “

10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10 NIV)

We Are The Work of God

We are the work of God. We are completely the work of God. He gave us life when we were knit together in our mother’s womb and He gave us spiritual life through our relationship with the life-giving Savior. So, if we will stick to what the Scriptures say we will see that He has created us, He has recreated us, and we are now, in Christ, a new creation. Paul wrote to the folks in Corinth and told them,

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)

God’s Purpose in our Recreation

Our God is a God of purpose and what He has done on our behalf He has done with purpose. We learned last week that God has done this in order to display His incomparably rich grace, shown through His kindness to us, to this dark, dead world. We are to be living examples of God’s rich mercy and grace to a cold and dead world full of spiritual zombies. Ephesians 2:10 makes it clear to us that our role in this demonstration of Almighty God is not the same as fashion designers who put their material creations on display in department store windows. In other words, we are not lifeless mannequins or models who simply parade up and down runways. He has given us life, He has opened the door for us to walk in relationship with Him as we walk through this world so that we might have new eyes to see what we were unable to see, so that we might have new ears to hear what we had previously been unable to hear, and that we might have a new heart, a heart that is broken with the things that break His heart. This change is put into effect so that we might act on behalf of the broken, lost, and lonely that He places in our path. We were recreated in Christ Jesus to do good works.

Now, we must be very careful at this point. We need to be reminded that our works will never save us, our works will never get us a better seat in the Kingdom, and our good works, if not understood for what they are, can lead to spiritual arrogance and pride. John MacArthur said, “Although they have no part in gaining salvation, good works have a great deal to do with living out salvation. No good works can produce salvation, but many good works are produced by salvation.” (MacArthur, John. The New Testament Commentary: Ephesians. pg. 62.) We have to remember that any created thing points to a Creator, right?

Our Work is His Work

If you were to go to the Louvre in Paris, France and visit the Mona Lisa you would know that Leonardo Da Vinci was an amazing artist. You would know that the painting didn’t create itself—it had a creator. The most famous sculpture in the world is in Florence, Italy—Michelangelo’s “David.” As you look at Michelangelo’s sculpture you recognize the incredible creative ability of the artist, not the marble. The good work done by Leonardo Da Vinci on the canvas draws attention to the good work done by the artist. The good work done by Michelangelo on a block of marble draws attention to the good work done by the sculptor. We praise people for their creative work and yet Paul wants you and me to see that there is a Creator behind each of our works. “Our work” is truly “His work” done through us. Our work serves to draw attention to the Master Artist who continues His work through us. Jesus said,

16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16 NIV)

How do we “let our light shine before men?” It’s not complicated at all. We are to live as Jesus lived, we are to do the things that Jesus did, we are to die to ourselves and live for His glory. You say, “Well, I haven’t seen anyone raise the dead lately so how am I to do what Jesus did?” Jesus’ mission in life wasn’t to raise the dead. As a matter of fact, during Jesus’ life He raised the dead three times. He raised the widow’s son at Nain (Luke 7:11-17), He raised Jairus’ daughter (Matthew 9:18-26), and He raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11). Jesus’ mission wasn’t to raise the dead, but it was to serve. He says so Himself in Mark’s Gospel.

45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45 NIV)

Jesus came to serve and then to give His life for ours, to offer Himself as a sacrifice on Calvary’s Cross for the forgiveness of our sins. “Serving” was His mission. “Serving” is our calling. “Serving” is the good work that God has planned for you and me. As we live our lives as servants others will take notice and we will point them to the Father, the Artist who is at work in our lives. So, we are saved for good works, not by good works.

The Good Work is Before You

Someone may ask, “What good works am I to do?” That is a great question and the answer is, “It is right before you.” As you and I live our lives God presents opportunities before us each and every day. You may run into someone at work who is going through a difficult time in their marriage. Most people are too busy or do not want to get involved—God is calling you to reach out and be a friend, a support, offer a prayer, to walk with your friend through that trial. You may hear about someone who has lost their job and they are struggling to pay their bills. God is calling you to help. I can’t tell you if He is calling you to give them money, a place to stay, to gather clothes from your closet or your friend’s closets, or to cook them meals, but He is calling you to get involved. If you will listen He will lead you in getting involved. There was a little girl in our church who needed a home. I sent out an email and some newlyweds got in touch with me and said, “We believe God is calling us to help her family by taking her into our home.” Someone in our church needed a car. Some folks got together and said, “God is calling us to get involved.” They pooled their money and she got a car so she could carry out her ministry. I have no idea what “good works” God has called you to, but I know that they are right in front of you if you will have eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart that is open to what God is wanting to do through you.

There is one more thing about these “good works” that you need to know about. Let’s take one more look at Ephesians 2:10.

10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10 NIV)

It is that last phrase that I want us to focus on before we leave here this morning—“which God prepared in advance for us to do.” It’s the phrase “to do” that I want us to understand. The Greek word, “περιπατέω” (peripateo) means, “to walk, to live, or to conduct one’s self.” The NIV doesn’t really make this clear to us so let me show you a couple of other translations. Both the Revised Standard Version and the New American Standard Version get it right. Listen to this.

“…which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10 NAS)

Walk the Walk of God’s Good Works

God has already prepared for you and me the good works that He intends for us to do, but we must walk in them, we must live them out, we must step through the door of opportunity and allow God to use us. This passage ties together what Paul has said about our life prior to Jesus coming in and our life now that we are living in Him. In Ephesians 2:2 we learned about our walk before Christ. Read it with me.

2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. (Ephesians 2:1-2 NAS)

We used to walk, we use to live, in a totally different way than we do once Jesus becomes Lord and Master of our lives. Peter O’Brien has written about the contrast.

There was a time when we walked in disobedience and sin, followed the ways of this world, were in terrible bondage to the devil, and were destined for wrath. But now because of God’s might salvation in which a glorious change has been effected, we are expected, through the agency of the Holy Spirit, to demonstrate a changed life-style. Our attitudes and behavior are to show all the hallmarks of the new creation. (O’Brien, Peter. The Letter to the Ephesians. William B. Erdman’s Publishing Company. 1999. pg. 181)

Some Christians cringe at the thought that there is work to do. As they slouch in their salvation and lounge around in their comfortable pseudo Christianity they say, “I don’t have to feed the hungry, visit the sick and imprisoned, comfort the broken, and clothe the naked. I’m saved by grace not by works.” The truth of the matter is that if that is the way you feel then you probably don’t know Jesus at all. You are perverting God’s grace. Faith without works is dead. The reason I can say that is because God is the one who is at work in His people so if you are His people then His work is going to be evident in your life. Our works are not for our salvation, but they are the fruit of our salvation.

The question must be asked this morning, “Are you walking in the good works the Lord has planned for you? As Jesus reached out to the lost, cared for the sick, bound up the broken, and met the needs of the poor—are you walking in His steps?” If not, why not? Is it because you have never given your life to Jesus? Then why don’t you do that this morning? He will begin a work in you that you cannot even imagine and the work He does in you will translate into work that He does through you. Won’t you invite Him in?

Mike Hays
Britton Christian Church
922 NW 91st
OKC, OK. 73114
January 22, 2012

To run the “race of faith,” to walk with the Lord each day, there are some things that I’ve got to constantly watch out for in this new year. First, I’ve got to examine my life, see my choices, habits, and desires through His eyes so that I can identify “everything that hinders,” that slows me down in my “run” with the Lord each day. Things like… Reading the morning paper instead of reading His Word before I head out the door to work in the morning. Anxiety that causes me to worry and fixate on my problems instead of trusting Him and “fixing my eyes on Jesus.” Too much time in front of the television or on the computer. These are some of the things that immediately come to mind. They are not “bad” things, but they sure get in the way, they hinder me from deepening my walk with the Lord. They hold me back from running like He has called me to run.

Secondly, I’ve got to be able to see the “sin that so easily entangles.” I know from experience that sin which takes root is all too a vicious vine that strangles and suffocates. A little bitterness quickly becomes unbridled animosity and anger if not dealt with swiftly. Dipping my toes in the pool of self-centeredness can leave me drowning in a whirlpool of greed if not addressed with urgency. That’s how sin works. It pleases before it entangles and kills. The alcoholic never intended to become enslaved by a bottle. The adulterer could have never imagined the destruction that would follow the fling.

More than fearing enslavement or destruction because of those things that hinder and entangle, I am yearning to run with the Lord like never before. For that to happen I’ve to get rid of what slows me down and holds me back. My prayer today, Lord, is that you would open my eyes to all that is in my life that is holding me back. Free me Father so that I might run this race with everything that is within me today.